The Trump administration has cut off all foreign aid to the Central American nations of Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras - known as the Northern Triangle countries.

"At the Secretary's instruction, we are carrying out the President's direction and ending FY 2017 and FY 2018 foreign assistance programs for the Northern Triangle," reads a statement toThe Hill from a State Department spokesperson.

The sudden move comes after a Friday statement by Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen - who said she signed a "historic" regional compact last week with the Northern Triangle to "combat human smuggling and trafficking, crack down on transnational criminals fueling the crisis, and strengthen border security to prevent irregular migration."